Thoughts on Medford Mass???? (Boston, Cambridge: homes, school, airport)

[pennyone]

Originally Posted by semiurbanite

Just realized this is a 9 year old post. Funny how Somerville was bundled in with Malden and Revere in 2007. Now it's on Lonely Plant's top 10 list.

That's because of Cambridge. Without Cambridge, and Harvard/MIT, Somerville would still be bundled with the other two. It is an awesome place now and the transformation is quite amazing.

[semiurbanite]

Originally Posted by pennyone

That's because of Cambridge. Without Cambridge, and Harvard/MIT, Somerville would still be bundled with the other two. It is an awesome place now and the transformation is quite amazing.

Cambridge is a big part of it. And Cambridge is what it is in part because of Boston. But Somerville has evolved into it's own identity than many people actually prefer over Cambridge now.

[pennyone]

Originally Posted by semiurbanite

Cambridge is a big part of it. And Cambridge is what it is in part because of Boston. But Somerville has evolved into it's own identity than many people actually prefer over Cambridge now.

Obviously it has its own identity. It's only 4.2 square miles in size and incredibly dense in population, and its architecture, no offense to the city, is very unattractive. It certainly will never be Cambridge, so of course it's going to have its own identity.

And you can just as easily argue that Boston is what it is because of Cambridge, due to MIT and Harvard.

[gf2020]

Originally Posted by pennyone

And you can just as easily argue that Boston is what it is because of Cambridge, due to MIT and Harvard.

No, no one would ever make that argument.

[btownboss4]

Originally Posted by pennyone

Obviously it has its own identity. It's only 4.2 square miles in size and incredibly dense in population, and its architecture, no offense to the city, is very unattractive. It certainly will never be Cambridge, so of course it's going to have its own identity.

And you can just as easily argue that Boston is what it is because of Cambridge, due to MIT and Harvard.

Harvard is in Cambridge because there wasn't land on the Shawmut Peninsula for a college.

[pennyone]

Originally Posted by gf2020

No, no one would ever make that argument.

I have heard it made several times, though I don't care one way or the other. In any case, way off topic from Medford.

[OrganicSmallHome]

Originally Posted by pennyone

Obviously it has its own identity. It's only 4.2 square miles in size and incredibly dense in population, and its architecture, no offense to the city, is very unattractive. It certainly will never be Cambridge, so of course it's going to have its own identity.

And you can just as easily argue that Boston is what it is because of Cambridge, due to MIT and Harvard.

No one with any knowledge of the history of Boston would ever argue that Boston is what it is because of Cambridge, due to MIT and Harvard.

[tysmith95]

Originally Posted by OrganicSmallHome

No one with any knowledge of the history of Boston would ever argue that Boston is what it is because of Cambridge, due to MIT and Harvard.

I would argue that many of the tech companies and our vibrant economy wouldn't exsist if Harvard or MIT weren't there. I would argue that without Harvard/MIT/Tufts etc that Boston would be more like Baltimore.

[OrganicSmallHome]

Originally Posted by tysmith95

I would argue that many of the tech companies and our vibrant economy wouldn't exsist if Harvard or MIT weren't there. I would argue that without Harvard/MIT/Tufts etc that Boston would be more like Baltimore.

Yes, you could argue that, but you would be arguing in connection with the importance of Harvard and MIT to tech jobs in the area. Boston has pretty much always had a vibrant economy and has never been "like Baltimore," either prior to the proliferation of tech jobs or now.

[timberline742]

Originally Posted by OrganicSmallHome

No one with any knowledge of the history of Boston would ever argue that Boston is what it is because of Cambridge, due to MIT and Harvard.

Not everyone has the history of Boston. Talk to people in Lima, Tokyo, Istanbul, etc and Boston is "ah, MIT" ... "ah, Harvard!"

And Boston would be a far cry from what it is without those two institutions.